Wine & Spirits

One of the Cotê de Beaune’s Finest - de Montille

One of the most venerable estates in the Cotê de Beaune, de Montille has been around since the mid-1700s. Under father/son team, Hubert and Étienne, de Montille is thriving. The domaine has 37ha of vineyards and 85% are premier or grand cru. It has been practicing organic farming since 1995. Montille’s wines are about finesse and nuance. They are aromatically pure, balanced and elegant. The one word that describes the whole operation - everything from the way the vineyards are farmed, the wines are vinified and the wines themselves - is precision. It is like a well written essay. There are no extraneous words. Everything is precise.

We tasted through the currently available wines listed below and were impressed. They are precise. The tension with the fruit and acidity is compelling. Minerality shows up in each of the wines. Oak is added with a deft touch. Admittedly some of the wines were reductive, but aging and/or airing will remedy the problem.

Maison de Montille is de Montille's négociant house . The quality is on par with the Domaine.

Etienne de Montille took over Chateau Puligny Montrachet in 2002 and converted everything to de Montille's standards.

Domaine de Montille is the vineyard owned wines.

2016 Maison de Montille Montagny 1er Cru Les Coères$47.99

“There is a trace of mineral reduction present on the mostly floral and white orchard fruit aromas that exhibit just a hint of the exotic. Here too there is plenty of punch on the more evidently mineral-inflected flavors that possess sneaky good length if only average complexity.” ~ Burghound 87-89

Even though this is from the Macon, it definitely feels like it could be declassified Puligny Montrachet.

2016 Chateau de Puligny Montrachet Chassagne Montrachet$79.99

“Here there is enough reduction to mask the underlying fruit. Otherwise the lush and moderately powerful flavors possess both good volume and mid-palate concentration before concluding in a lingering and complex finish. This isn't elegant but it offers much to like for a villages level wine.” 89-91 Burghound

2016 Chateau de Puligny Montrachet Puligny Montrachet$84.99

“This too is quite firmly reduced and unreadable in this condition. By contrast there is good freshness to the beautifully vibrant, even crunchy, middle weight flavors that possess a finer texture along with even more minerality on the clean, bright and very dry finale. The 1er influence is apparent though I underscore that this will need a few years of cellaring to develop better depth.” Burghound 89-92

2015 Domaine de Montille Bourgogne Blanc$39.99

This beautiful expression of Chardonnay is sourced from two blocks located on Puligny Montrachet, benefitting from the same agricultural practices (organic certified & Biodynamic certification pending) and the same care in the cellar as the Premiers and Grand Crus. Grapes for this wine are hand-harvested and pressed into a mis of 228- and 600-liter barrels (approx. 5-25% new cases primarily made from Allier wood that sees a long yet light toasting). After about one year of aging, the wine spends 4-6 months in stainless steel, followed by light filtration.

2015 Domaine de Montille Corton Charlemagne$200.00

“A broad-ranging nose offers up notes of matchstick, apple, lavender, wet stone and citrus rind. Not surprisingly there is more size and weight to the muscular and powerful big-bodied flavors that once again exhibit plenty of minerality on the very rich, complex and impressively long finish. This isn't a classic example but the complexity and balance are lovely and this should mature into an excellent wine.” ~ Burghound 92-94

2016 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Les Perrières$77.99

The term :Perriéres: dates back to the old quarries that long neighbored vinyards there. Contrary to Beane Les Sizies:, the lieu dit :Les Perriéres" sits on a marly and rocky terrain at the top of the slope, near the lieu dit :Les Fèves". Beaune was one of the areas hit the hardest by frost in 2016, although, placed towards the north of the appellation, Les Perriéres fared better than some. Historically the limestone content would favor Chardonnay, however the warmer vintages in recent years have led to a softer, riper styleof Beaune. The wine is matured in 20% new oak.